Apparatus for dispensing drinking-cups and beverages.



V 0. Downs, In. 6; H. H. DOERING. APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING DRINKING CUPS AND BEVERAGES.-

APPLICATION FILED IAN-4. I9l5- 1,252,413; Patented Jan. 8,1918.

c. noenme, In. & H. a. DOERING. APPARATUS FOR DISPENSANG DRINKING CUPS AND BEVERAGES. V Armcmou fI LED Mull. I915. R 1,252,413. Patentod Jan. 8,1918.

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lllllnimlllmnll C. DOERING. In; Ii N. H. DOERlNG.

APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING nmm'uc CUPS AND BEVERAGES APPLICATION HUD JAN. 4. ISIS- 1,252,413. Patentod an 8,1918.

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C. DOERINQ, In. H. H. DOERING. APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING DRINKINGF'CUPS AND'BEVERAGESL. I nru'cmon FILEDJAiIJ. ms. 1,252,413, Patentedlan. 8,1918.

5 BHEBTHKEE'! 5- Z3 V i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 8, 1918.

Application filed January 4, 1915. Serial No. 512.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CHARLES DOERING, J r., and HENRY H. DonnINo, citizens of the United States, both residents of Oak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Imrovements in an Apparatus for Dispensing rinking-Cups and Beverages; and they do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 7

This invention has for its object to provide an apparatusfor dispensing drinking cups and beverages, and consists in the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and particularly claimed.

The particular object of the i hvention is to provide a device of. the character set forth in which the beverage to be dispensed is first received in a chamber surrounded by a cooling medium in which it is maintained cold and refreshing, and is then fed into another chamber adapted to contain a measured quantity thereof and is thereupon dispensed from'the last-named chamber, the dispensing means being coin-controlled.

further objectof the invention is to provide a dispensing apparatus of the character set forth in which upon deposit of a. coin and the manual actuation of a lever there isfirst delivered to the depositor of the coin a drinking cup of paper which is preferably folded, and in which upon the actuation 'of the lever for receiving the cup the measured quantity of liquid paid for by' the coin ,is delivered into the measuring chamber and thereafter upon the return of the lever to its normal position'such liquid is drained from said measuring vessel into the cup held below the discharge spout of the device.

In accordance with the attainment of the foregoing objects, the invention has for its more particular objects to provide an arrangement of receptacles and valves enablin the, successive operations above set fort to be readily,, simply and reliably performed as will .more particularly appear from the following specification.

A suitable embodiment of the invention is illustratedin the accompanying drawings "m' which-:- Y

Figure "1- is a. view front. elevation of a beverage-dispensing apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. --2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3-- is a. vie-win elevation of one side of the folded drinking cup adapted to be ejected from the ap aratus.

Fig. 4-- is a vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 5-.

Figs. 5- and 6- are horizontal sections taken on the lines 5-5 and 66 respectively of Fig. 4--.

.Figs. -7 and 8 are fragmentary detail sections showing the coin-receiving means controlling the operation of the device and the discharge therefor, said parts being shown in their different positions.

Figs. 9 and 10 are fragmentary detail vertical sectlons on the line 9-9 of Fig. 11 showing the parts in. their two positions.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary, detail vertijcal section on the line 11-11 of Fig.'-- 9-.

' Figs. -12 and 13- are fragmentary detail vertical sections on the line 1212 of Fig. 11 showing the parts intwo positions.

Figs. -14- and .15 are detail horizontal sections on the'line 1414 of Fig. --16, showing the three-way valve employed. j :Fig. 16 is'a fragmentary detail horizontal section on the line 1616 of Fig. -11-- showing the three-way valve illustrated in Figs. --14-- and -15--.

Fig. 17 is a view similar to Fig. -16 showing the valve in a different position.

The apparatus comprises a suitablehousing which, .in the instance illustrated, consists of a" cylinder 1 closed at top and bot" age of bottles of the'liquid to be dispensed.

Said lower end portion .of the said housing is adapted to be closed by means of a door 5 adapted to be locked n any well-known manner. f p

The receptacle 2 is preferably provided with double walls having the spaces betweenthe same filled with a non-heat conducting material such as asbestos, or the like, an

this may be termd the refrigerating chamber. The latter 'isprovided inits lower end with a tank 7 adapted to contain the liquid to be dispensed. The said tank as shown is relatively small and fiat ahdthe ice introduced into the chamber 2 is adapted to rest upon the same to cool the contents thereof. Below the same is an open space to receive the water from melted ice which is adapted to absorb the heat from the liquid to be dispensed contained in said tank,and is adapting the drinking cups ed tobe drained off nto the receptacle 1 by means of the valve 8 connected to the receptacle 2 by' a pipe 8. The said tank 7 is adapted to be filled through the vertical tubes 9 provided at their upper ends with funnels 10, the latter being adapted to support inverted bottles 11,- shown in Fig. 1-. The said inverted. bottles serve to maintain the said tank 7 completely filled with the liquid to be dispensed at alltimes in a well-known manner, it being obvious, however, that any other suitable means for maintaining a constant suppl of the beverage tobe dispensed in sai tank 7 mag be employed in place of the invertedv boa;

' tles '11. w

The circumferential wall of the housing is provided with two mlatively deep recesses 12, each having a fiat bottom and convergent side walls. .The discharge nozzles 13 for theliquid to be dispensed project into said recesses 12' and thelmobs '14 for ejectand actuatin the dispensing mechanism also project mtd said recesses. Immediately rearwardl of the same and attached'to the inner wa l of each of saidrecesses are the containers 15 for drinking cups, the latter "being preferably rendered visible through a pane of glass 1 16 in the said inner wall of each of said x recesses 12.

In describing the invention the routine of the operations will be followed to the end i that the invention maybe fully understood and its operation comprehended withoutl special review of the latter.

"As shown in Fi '-9 and -10-, the

cups 17, shown in detail in Fig.

are I disposed flatwise one upon 'the other within the said receptacle 15,- and a weight 18 is disposed upon the top of the the cup ejecting means disposed in tom ofs aid receptacle 15. The cu said plunger pile in order to compress the same u n ejecting with the, ro ectmg. into the recess 12,

means comprisesa plunger 19 rigi knob 14 and of the receptacle 15 and being equipped with suitable means for engaging the wermqgt' cup ,17 for ejecting the latter through is e slot 20 inthe front wall of said receptacle 15, which is identical with the inner wall of tom cup.

. throughdihe plunger and a slot 26 the oteing slidable in. the bottom the recess 12 in the housing. Said cup-engaging means consists of a flat plate 19 on the up er surface of said plunger 19, which is pre erably providedwlth a sharp front edge adapted to engage the edge of the fla 19" at the bottom of the cup,17 andwil causo'the latter to be moved. forward with said plunger 19 through'said slot 20. The next higher cup is adapted to abut against the inner face of the inner wall of said recess 12 just above said slot 20 and thus be prevented from being ejected with the bot- Positioned in front of said slot 20 is a projection 22 having an inclined upper faceover which the cup is adapted to ride so as to cause the ejected end thereof to projectupwardly from the surface of the plunger 19 to enable it to be more easily grasped by the fingers.

The cup is preferably provided with o posed walls of different length so, that t e upper edge 19 of one thereof will be overhung by the other 19 as shown in Fig. 3-. The fla 19 overlaps the shorter wall, and, in or er to insure the ejection of a cup upon each outward movement of the plunger; the plate 19 is made in the form of a flat spring secured (at its forward end to the plunger 19,'which forward end forms the projection 21. The rear free end of the plate terminates in a small upwardly extending projection -21"- which is adapted to. engage the upper end 19 of the longer wall of the cup, said projection being normally supported at an elevation above the plunger and held down by the weight of the stack of c s and the-follower 18. Thus each cup is engaged at two points and failure of the plunger to eject one'thereof at each opera tion is obviated. 4

The outward or ejecting movement of the v ing or slot '23 communicating with the upper end of a chute 24; which leads toand communicates with a. small coin chute 25 car med bv. the plunger 19. An opening 2}? in t e bottom wall 26 of'the receptacle 15 enable the coin received in the chute 25 to project intocontact with and rest upon a platform 27 which-is pivotally mounted in depend- 'ingprojectionsj28, and ,isprovided at one side of its pivot with a counterbalancing weight 29 (Fig. 11) whichmaintains the coin-receiving end portion thereof. normally The "platform 27carries a pinor' projection 30. having a beveled upper face which is adapted to project through the opening in the bottom plate/26 of the receptacle' 15 into one of a series of openings 30 in saidplunger 19 thus preventing the outposition shown in Fig. -8-, carrying the coin with it, and as the coin is drawn forward out of engagement with the counterweighted platform 27 it drops into said chute 3:3 and passes into a coin receptacle 33. During the outward movement of the plunger 19 a drinking cup 17 will obviously be delivered to the .depositor of the coin. The coin chute is arranged to enable a number of coins to be deposited successively without operating the plunger, and said plunger may then be successively operated until the total number of coins contained in thechute has been exhausted. During'the return movement of the plunger the pin 30 fee by reason of its beveled upper end acts as a ratchet engaging successively in the several openings 30 thereby preventing repeated partial inward and outward movements of the plunger after depositing only one coin.

During the forward movement of the plunger as above described, a valve is ac-f tuated which causes liquid from the tank 7 to pass into a measuring receptacle 34, the

latter communicating at its upper end with an air inlet'and outlet tube 34 which prd jects. above the greatest level of liquid adapted to be contained in the tank 7 and the tubeor tubes 9 through which the said tank is fed. Said communication is eflected through the pipes 35 and 36, the former leading from the lower part of the tank 7 to a T head 35" and the latter communicating with the casing 37of a three-way valve, there being onebranch 36 leading to each of the two valve casings 37. The valve employed .is preferably of the type usually termed cocks. The. said housing is slightly co'nical and receives the similarly shaped valve plug 38 which is provided with a. passage 39 extending from its larger end to the clrcumferential face thereof t enable the same to register with two openings and '41 in the valve casing. The pipe 36 is connected to one end of said valve casing and communicates at all times with the opening 40 ,in the valve casing 37 The passage .39 in the valve plug is Y-shaped, that is to say, it has two outlets or branches 42 and'43 adapted to communicate with said respective openings 40 and 41, the latter andsaid passages 42 and 43 being relatively arranged spthat when the passage 43 regsition whereupon the liquid is drained from isters with the opening 41 the passage 42 is the opening 41 in the valve casing is connected by means of the pipe 45 with the discharge nozzle 13 in the recess '12 of the housing.

The said valve plug 38-is provided with an operating handle 46 equipped at its outer end with a projection 46 which engages in the bifurcated end of adownwardly extending arm 47 rigidly carried b the plunger 19 and said valve is adapted, uringv the forward movement of said plunger 19 to eject cup, to be turned so as to cause the pipe 36 to communicate with the pipe 44- thus causing liquid to pass into the measuring receptacle 34. The latter now fills with the beverage 7 to be dispensed and as the plunger is moved back to its normal or inner position the said valve plug'is turned to the position shown in Fig. 9-, andalso shown in Figs. -15 and l7, thus causing the measuring receptacle 34 and the pipe 44 to mitted by the ready escape of displaced air and its readmission through the pi e 34. VVearon the valve is automatical y taken up by the spring 35 interposed between the handle 46 on the valve-stem and a washer on theopposed endof the valve do casing. i

The depositor of the coin having first obtained a cup to receive the bevera by pullingthe plunger 19 to the outerhmit offits movement, proceeds to open the cup prepara-- tory to filllng the same with the beverage 1'15 and having opened the same holds it below the spout or nozzle 13 and thereupon-returns the" plunger t02'itS normal or inner pothe receptacle 34 int!) the cup. 7

In order to check up the number of said cups sold and the amount of beverage dis: pensed, we'provide an automatic counting mechanism48 of any well-known character having an operating lever 49,theouter end ing to return said leverto its normal tion as the plunger is moved its inward position. p a

All of the o crating parts of the mechanism, except t ose specifically described as exposed, are accessible 'onl through opininfip provided with locks, t e keys of w 'ch w' be in possession of the proprietor or his agent so that access may be had thereto only by authorized persons. The said means of access are not particularly illustrated as v they are commonly used and constitute no feature of the invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. A liquid dispensing apparatus comprising a container or drinking cups, a reservoir for liquid, an auxiliary container for a cupful of liquid, a discharge spout for liquid, I

fa valve arranged to alternately connect said auxiliary container with said reservoir and said discharge spout, a manually o rable I plunger for eject cups consecutive y from said container, an connection between. said plunger and said valve whereby the latter is moved to a position connectingthe auxiliary container with reservoir as the plunger said container, and

ejects a cup. I a v 2. A liquid apparatuscomprising a container or drinking cups, a reser- V011 for liquid, "an' auxiliary cupful of liquid, a discharge s out for liquid, a valve arranged to alternate y connect said auxiliary container with said reservoir and said discharge spout, a 'manually, o rable plunger for ej ectlng cups consecutiv y from plunger and said valve whereby the latter is moved to a position connecting the auxiliary container with said reservoir as the plungerejects a cup, said valve being moved to a position to connect said auxiliary container with said discharge spout as said .plunger acufulo is returned to its normal position.

3. Aliquid dis nsin a paratus compris ing a container r dri nkiiig cups, 2- reservoir for liquid, an auxiliary container for liquid, a discharge spout for liqui a valve arranged to alternately-connect said auxiliary container'with said reservoir and said discharge spout, a manually operable plunger for e]ect1ng cups consecu- 1 tivelyfrom said container, and connection between said plunger and said valve .whereby the latter is moved to a position ing the auxiliary container with said resermm as the eplunger ejects a cup, said valve bein mov to a position to connect said auxi iary container with said discharge spout as said plunger is returned to its normal position, and releasable means arranged engage said plunger against cup e ecting movement its last-named position,

4. Aliquid dispensing apparatus comprisr ing a container for drinking cups, a reservoir for liquid, an auxiliary container for a cupful of liquid, a discharge auxiliary container with said container for a,

prising a housing, connection between said spout for liquid, a valve arranged to alternate y connect said said discharge spout, a manually operable plunger for ejecting cups consecutively from said container, and connection between said plunger and said valve whereby the latter is moved to a position connecting the the plunger ejects a cup, said valve being moved to a position to connect said auxiliary container with said discharge spout as said plunger is returned to its normal position,

and releasable means controllable by the operator arranged to lock said plunger against cup ejecting movement from its last-named position.

5. A liquid dispensing apparatus comprising a housing, a reservoir for liquid, a liquid cooling chamber within the housing connected with said reservoir, an auxiliary liquid measuring chamber within the cham- 7 her, a manually operable valve wi in said housing connected with said cool' housing, interposed in said connection, means manually operable from the exterior of the casing for moving said valve to alter nately connect said measuring chamber with said cooling chamber and said discharge spout, and means associated with said manually operable means for automatically supplying a drinking cup as said valve is moved to the first-named position. 1

-6. A liquid dispensing apparatus coma reservoir for liquid, a q uidrcooling chamber within ing ber with said cooling chamber, amanually operable valve within said housing interposedin said. connection, a discharge spout also connected with said valve, means manuthe housing connected with said reservoir, an auxiliary. liquid measuring chamber within the housmeans connecting the measuring cham-' auxiliary container with said reservoir and reservoir as ally operable from the exterior of the housing for moving said valve to alternately connect said measuring chamber with said cooling chamber and said dischar spout, means associated with said manna y operable means for supplying a drinking-esp as said valve is moved to the first-nam position, and releasable means controllable the oper;

, ator for locking said manual y operable meansm amst the aforesaid movement. J7. A liquid dispensing apparatus com rising a housing, a refrigerating chamber erein, a container for water within said 0 ber a reservoir for wateroonnected wi said container, a receptacle for a measured.

quantity (of liquid connection between said container and receptacle,

iii-discharge spout,

connection between the latter and said receptacle, a valve inte connect said receptacle with said container and said discharge spout, said-receptacle and said in said connec-r:-- 'tions and adapted to alternately valvedisposed within the housing, means operable from the exterior of the housing for actuating said valve, and means, associated with said valve-actuating means for supplying a drinking cup each time the valve is operated to connect the receptacle with the container.

8. A liquid dispens' apparatus comprising ahousing, a re rigerating chamber therein, a container for water within said 7 chamber, a reservoir for water connected with said container, a receptacle for a measured quantity of liquid connected with said container, a discharge spout connected with said receptacle a valve interposed in said connections and adapted to alternately connect said receptacle with said container and said discharge. spout, said receptacle and .nesses.

said valve disposed within the housing, means operable from the exterior of the housingfor actuating said valve, means associated with said valve-actuating means for supplying a drinking cup each time the valve is operated to connect the receptacle with the container, and releasable means controllable by the operator for holding said valve-actuating means against movement.

In testimony whereofwe have signed our names in presence of two subscribing wit- CHARLES -nonams .11 p I HENRY HJDOERING. I

Witnesses: V i

J 01m H.BIAUMGARTNER, LORETTA M. MAY. 

